I exercised with ankle weights for 3 weeks — here's what happened to my body

Whether you want to tone, strengthen, or level up your fitness, ankle weights are a great way to increase the intensity of your bodyweight exercises.

Ankle weights are seriously underrated — I’ve used them on and off for years, but lately, I’ve been drawn to the beautiful bracelet-style ankle and wrist weights —nothing like those Jane-Fonda-style bulky sandbags I used to wear back in the day.

Seeing this stylish option, I decided it give them a proper try, so I committed to wearing some of the best ankle weights every day for three weeks. Read on to find out what happened.

What are ankle weights?

Ankle weights are simple but effective. They’re adjustable weights that you strap around your ankles (or wrists) to increase resistance during your workout.

According to Anna Mounsey-Jennings, founder of Avalon Pilates, “they add a challenge to almost any routine, whether you're doing Pilates on the mat, using a Reformer — or any type of resistance work for that matter.”

“If you’re doing an abdominal series the ankle weights add on an extra bit of resistance which challenges your abdominals even more. Likewise, if you’re doing a side-lying glute series, the extra weight from the ankle weights makes it burn that much more.

"You can also replace dumbbells for ankle weights but over the wrists, perfect for a Barre class when performing a fiery arm series. They’re a great investment and are super versatile.”

When used correctly, ankle weights increase muscular resistance and activation. I start every workout with a glute activation series and wearing ankle weights adding to the intensity.

I did a series of side-lying leg lifts and clam shells to target and switch on the glutes, inner thighs, and outer thighs. Warming up this way ensures these muscles are engaged before moving on to compound exercises like squats or lunges.

“It’s all about making sure your muscles are properly engaged to avoid injury and work them harder, which helps you see better results,” says Anna.

I wore ankle weights for 21 days — here’s what happened

Every morning whether I was running, walking, doing a HIIT session, or lifting weights, I’d pop on Em Krzus’s side-lying series and get to work. To do her workout you’ll need a yoga mat, your ankle weights, and 10-15 minutes which I factored in as my warm-up.

There are seven exercises in total — and you’ll need to do them on each side. Your glutes and legs — especially your abductors will be on fire by the end of the series — but remember to keep the ankle weights on for the rest of your workout (if safe to do so). Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Small changes can give you big results

Though they look light, adding just a couple of pounds around your ankles can make a huge difference. It increases the endurance of your muscles and provides resistance that helps sculpt stronger legs and glutes.

"Adding resistance to any movement is going to ask more from your muscles,” explains Anna.

After 21 days of using them for everything from step-ups, squats, and side leg lifts to lunges, kicks, and high knees, I felt that my legs were stronger. A study in the Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences found that adding ankle and wrist weights to your training routine can indeed increase muscle mass. They simply make the muscles work harder, which increases the lean mass of that muscle over time.

They worked my core

Ab moves like deadbugs, hanging leg raises, Russian twists, and jackknives took on a whole new meaning when I started wearing ankle weights. Adding resistance to any movement forces your muscles to work harder, especially your stabilizing muscles like your hip flexors and lower abs. Plus, ankle weights are a great way to increase resistance and completely fatigue the abs without needing to do endless reps.

My form improved

The added weight from ankle weights is great for helping you focus on the muscles you're trying to activate while performing each exercise with good form. This is where the mind-muscle connection comes into play—it helps maximize the intensity of each move, and you can’t rush through it because the extra weight naturally slows you down. “This forces you to move more deliberately and with better control. The extra weight also challenges you to work against resistance, which leads to better muscle activation and joint movement,” says Anna.

I broke through a plateau

I’ve been training for years, and don’t get me wrong, I mix things up to keep my body guessing and adapting. But adding ankle weights introduced a new level of versatility and helped me break out of a workout rut. The reason? Applying extra force leads to greater energy expenditure, which means your body burns more calories, boosts your metabolism, and reignites your motivation.

They’ll help build a solid foundation for lifting heavier dumbbells

Ankle weights help strengthen your stabilizing and accessory muscles like your ankles, knees, and hips, which help you build a solid foundation and base for big compound moves like deadlifts, squats, and power cleans. The stronger you are all over, the more you will be able to lift heavier weights — and the quicker you’ll see results. It’s a win-win.

They can work your arms too

The beauty of the bracelet-style weights is that they can double as bracelets (albeit heavy ones). They’re perfect for adding extra weight to exercises like shoulder presses, lateral raises, arm circles, and even walking with a more emphasized arm swing. Despite feeling a little silly, wearing them on my walk I found my heart rate was raised, my arms got a nice burn, and I enjoyed this new way of walking.

I even wore them while hoovering

It wasn’t until I saw my neighbor holding her ankle weights to take to work with her (she’s a cleaner) that I decided to wear the weights whenever I could. Wearing ankle weights while going about your daily life will not only burn more calories, but will also increase the workload on your heart, which has to pump more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This added effort therefore boosts your metabolism and heart rate, leading to better calorie burn without changing anything in your routine. It somehow kept me focused in all aspects of life too— it felt wrong wearing ankle weights and eating chocolate!

My verdict

Budget-friendly accessories can work wonders for your overall strength and conditioning. Whether you’re looking to spice up a core workout with weighted leg lifts or target your legs and glutes with side leg raises, ankle weights provide that extra challenge. Although they might seem deceptively light at first, ankle weights are surprisingly effective when added to any bodyweight routine.

Personally, I find that after a month or so of starting a new workout plan, my motivation tends to dip, and progress plateaus but ankle weights have been a game-changer in keeping things fresh and pushing me past that rut.

One thing’s for sure—my body feels significantly stronger than it did at the start of this challenge. Will ankle weights make their way into my gym routine? Absolutely. There’s no harm in wearing them during moves like dumbbell walking lunges, squat jumps, or even mountain climbers.

They also complement upper body workouts, adding extra resistance to shoulder and arm exercises. They’re the perfect way to give my workouts a boost without changing the weight on my adjustable dumbbells or barbells. My workouts were already working well, but adding ankle weights gave them an extra push in the right direction. So, yes, they’re here to stay.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget weights and sit-ups — this 10-minute standing ab workout will blast your core
• Forget Russian twists — 5 standing ab exercises that sculpt your core muscles using one kettlebell
• Forget planks or crunches — these 5 standing core exercises will torch your abs